Yesterday, heading back to Missouri from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we elected to drive southward through central Wisconsin. Picking up US 45 in Ontonagon, we crossed the Eastern Continental Divide near the Wisconsin border and entered the watershed of the Wisconsin River. Several miles south of the border, we crossed the river for the first time and followed it southward through the Glaciated Plain of the Badger State.
After crossing the Eagle and Pelican Rivers, upper tributaries of the Wisconsin, we angled westward to join the main channel. Heading southward on US 51, we paralleled the River and crossed it several times before reaching Portage, Wisconsin. There the Wisconsin River turns westward and we switched to Route 78 to follow its course. Both the river and the highway soon entered the scenic "Driftless Area" of the State, characterized by forested hills and pastoral valleys. At Merrimac, we enjoyed a magnificent view of Lake Wisconsin (a reservoir on the river since 1914) and soon reached the attractive towns of Prairie du Sac and Sauk City on the north bank of the Wisconsin. There we crossed the river for the final time, heading toward Dubuque, Iowa, where we would spend the night.
The Wisconsin itself continues to flow westward, joining the Mississippi just south of Prairie du Chien. Approximately 420 miles in length, it is both the longest and the largest river in the State and passes through many reservoirs along its course. It certainly provided a beautiful natural corridor for our journey.
